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NCAAB Picks

NCAA Basketball Picks: Pittsburgh vs. Syracuse

The first ever ACC battle between Syracuse and Pittsburgh
tips off this afternoon and we've come up with our favorite college basketball
pick for what should be a fantastic game. What's the best play?

Odds Overview

For the moment we find Syracuse favored by five points at
home. The Orange are still undefeated (17-0) and have also been terrific
against the spread at 9-4. The Panthers are at 16-1 SU but a poor 5-9 ATS.

Some weren't too sure that the Panthers were for real after
a weak non-conference schedule, but they've certainly proven themselves so far
in ACC action.

Already they've beaten NC State, Maryland, Wake Forest and
Georgia Tech, with each win coming by seven or more points. They dominated both
the Terrapins (79-59) and Demon Deacons (80-65) at home.

In the recent win over the Yellow Jackets (81-74), their
resolve was tested to the max. Pittsburgh was down three at halftime but
out-scored Georgia Tech 49-39 after the interval to get the win.

Talib Zanna was instrumental in the victory, scoring 22
points on 8-of-10 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Lamar Patterson was
careless with the ball (seven turnovers), but still posted a solid 12/7/7 line,
while James Robinson and Cameron Wright combined for 30 points.

It was the sixth straight win for the Panthers, who have
responded in the perfect way since a heart-breaking one-point loss to
Cincinnati in the middle of December.

Syracuse's biggest test of the season awaits on Saturday,
regardless of the fact they'll be playing in front of their amazing fanbase
inside the Carrier Dome.

The Orange have passed all the tests that have been put in
front of them so far and remain unbeaten. They haven't had an easy schedule
either – already they've beaten Villanova, Indiana, North Carolina, Baylor and
Minnesota.

Five days ago Syracuse stormed back to beat Boston College
by 10 on the road. They made all the big plays down the stretch and ended up
covering the spread of 8.5 points after it looked very unlikely they'd do so
earlier on.

Trevor Cooney paced the Orange with 21 points on 8-of-13
shooting, while Tyler Ennis did a little of everything with 12 points, five
assists, three rebounds and six steals. CJ Fair and Jerami Grant were the other
two Syracuse players to score at least 12 points.

Jim Boeheim has done another outstanding job with this
year's version of the team, but let's see if he has his guys ready for this
stern challenge that an experienced Pittsburgh bunch will provide.

We fully expect Pittsburgh to come out with a lot of energy
and start out quick. Many times we've seen a slow start out of Syracuse, but
we've also witnessed them settle in and dominate on countless occasions as
well.

In all honesty, it's just too hard to pick against the
Orange at the Carrier Dome, especially with a savvy player in Ennis running the
point. Though he's only a freshman, he plays with incredible composure and rarely
makes the wrong decision. Look for him to be instrumental in another big win
for Syracuse.